Coca-Cola invests in resilience and replenishment in Mexican sub-basin

Coca-Cola's Mexican operation is working alongside Arca Continental, the second largest bottler of its products in Latin America and the state government of Coahuila to help replenish the Aguanaval sub-basin through soil improvement.

Soil improvement

The project forms part of the Coca-Cola company's commitment to improving water security and resilience in areas where its products are bottled. The total investment for the Aguanaval sub-basin will reach €888,000 (18.8 million pesos).

The work will be carried out in collaboration with Toroto, a nature-based solutions management company. By improving soil in the communally-farmed land in the Barreal de Guadalupe area of Coahuila, past which the Aguanaval river flows, Coca-Cola aims to replenish 333,000 cubic meters of water per year. The project is expected to last until 2026, by which point the region is estimated to have gained nearly one million additional cubic meters of water.

David Reyna Cantú, director of the Northern Region for Arca Continental, told media: "In Arca Continental, we are committed to sustainability and value creation for the communities where we operate. The launch of this program is a clear example of our commitment to guarantee a future where water, a vital resource, is available for everyone."

Ecosystem renovation using nature-based solutions

Beyond water replenishment, Coca-Cola and Arca Continental plan to work alongside other local communities to restore ecosystems across 560 hectares in the Laguna region using nature-based solutions.

Susana Estens, secretary of the environment for the State of Coahuila, told media at the launch event: "I am thrilled that we can generate interest from all institutions present here to maintain and support our communities, with what the UN summarizes as 'nature-based solutions' (…) People from the desert understand better than anyone how fragile our ecosystem is."

The work will be complemented by hydrological modelling with the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) tool. This will model both water quality and quantity by evaluating parameters such as evapotranspiration, surface runoff, infiltration, and groundwater flow. Climate change scenarios will be also analysed to assess adaptation strategies in the Aguanaval sub-basin.

Aguanaval sub-basin complements water stewardship strategy

Both Coca-Cola and Arca Continental have made commitments to water security in the regions they operate. For example, they are both committed to returning the equivalent of 100 per cent of the water used in the production of Coca-Cola's 80-strong Mexican portfolio to the watersheds they operate in.

Through its Fundación Coca-Cola Mexico, the beverage giant operates access and conservation programmes that aim to provide safe water to Mexicans by promoting responsible and sustainable use. Other initiatives include planting 80 million trees that contribute to the absorption of water in the earth, thus replenishing springs, rivers and lakes.

The company has also committed to:

• Increasing water use efficiency by 15% in its operations through improving infrastructure.
• To reduce water consumption in its beverage production from 1.56 litres of water for every litre of finished product, to 1.41 litres of water for every litre produced.
• To reduce water consumption in our bottling plants by 36 per cent.